1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrically energized heaters for vehicular windshields and, more particularly, to a heater for heating the lower edge of a windshield.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
During the winter, vehicles, whether land based watercraft or aircraft, are subject to snowfall and icing. This is a particular problem when visibility through the front windshield is obscured or otherwise compromised by snow and icing. For decades, this problem has been addressed by hot air defrosters urging a flow of air against the interior surface of the windshield to heat the windshield. The windshields are usually of glass and as glass is a poor conductor of heat, a significant period of time elapses before the snow and/or ice adjacent the exterior surface of the windshield melts. Windshield wipers, wiping the exterior surface of a windshield generally provide the area of contact relatively clear of snow and ice.
Presently used defrosters which emit air from one or more slots or vents in the dashboard of a vehicle generally direct the heated air against the windshield upwardly from a location significantly above the bottom edge of the windshield. Similarly, windshield wipers generally do not produce a wiping action against the exterior surface of the windshield close to the bottom edge of the windshield. Under severe conditions when a vehicle may have not been used for a period of time, sufficient ice may have formed along the bottom of a windshield to encase the windshield wipers and prevent their operation.
The lack of visibility along the lower part of a vehicular windshield compromises the view of the operator of the vehicle. Such compromise is a distinct safety hazard which is exacerbated during periods of severe inclement weather, whether by heavy snowfall or very low temperatures causing rapid and sustained icing.